


Two Kinds of Happiness

by isimpforbokuto



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: 3rd gym squad is in a band, Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Rock Band, Angst, Daichi is their manager, Drinking, Fluff, Implied Sexual Content, Kuroo Tetsurou is a Little Shit, M/M, Musicians, Mutual Pining, POV Multiple, Smoking, Tsukki and Yams find each other again, Yamaguchi Noya Tanaka and Hinata are the cutest friend group ever, Yamaguchi works at a bakery, they're famous
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-06
Updated: 2020-09-13
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:08:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26280931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/isimpforbokuto/pseuds/isimpforbokuto
Summary: “Ts-tsukki?” He heard a familiar voice say, in the sweet way he always said it.It’s been a long, long time since he’s heard that voice. But the memories came back all the same.Yamaguchi.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Kuroo Tetsurou/Tsukishima Kei, Tsukishima Kei/Yamaguchi Tadashi
Comments: 10
Kudos: 52





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> We hope you enjoy :) we are already working on chapters 2 and 3 so they should be up soon!

_Tsukki’s Point of View_

Tsukishima took a long drag from his cigarette, enjoying the rush of smoke filling his lungs. The cold November wind bit at his pale skin, and he welcomed it. Tsukki let his body slide down the brick wall behind him, and his head fell into his hands.

He sighed, a mixture of exhaustion and frustration. How long was this fucking recording session going to go? He shook his head, finishing his cigarette much quicker than he would have liked.

It all began as a joke, a way to pass time. When the four found each other again in college, they decided to start hanging out again for old times sake. They found out their hobbies aligned and decided to play together. 

The rest was history. 

They made it big before they even realized, and now they’re gracing the covers of magazines, laughing and talking in TV interviews, and selling out concert arenas. 

But Tsukishima was fighting an endless battle with himself. 

Playing bass was one of the few things that has actually made him happy in a long time. 

Dealing with people, that was another story. Dealing with hordes of fans coming after him when he was trying to get a coffee, or having barely any privacy were things that made him sometimes think that maybe, just maybe, it isn’t worth it after all. 

He shook that stupid thought out of his head. It’s been creeping into the back of his mind more and more lately. 

_No. It’s totally worth it. I just never expected to get this far._

“Oh ho ho? This is where you ran off to then?” Kuroo came outside and sidled up to Tsukki with a smirk. 

Tsukki stayed silent, rolling his eyes being his only response. 

The raven haired paid no mind, simply plopping down beside the blond.

“So.. we need you back in there dude. Come on, two songs left! We can get drinks after, my treat,” Kuroo nudged Tsukki.

Tsukki groaned and got up with Kuroo’s help. “Fine. But the tab is going to be long.” 

Kuroo only laughed as he went inside with Tsukki in tow.

\--

Three hours later the recording was finally done. Two hours after that, shit-faced Tsukki was in full swing.

Tsukki sat at the bar, empty whiskey glasses littering the counter in front of him. 

He had a small smile on his face, the corner of his lips just barely turned up. His muscles felt loose, as if the stress from the last album recording completely disappeared. 

His face was flushed pink from the alcohol. He lazily glanced around the bar and dance floor. Behind him, Bokuto and Kuroo were dancing, quite disgustingly in Tsukki’s opinion. 

His drummer and lead singer were grinding on each other to whatever shitty rock song was blasting over the speakers, and Akaashi, their guitarist, was looking on wistfully. 

You know, if you wanna fuck himmm you should just say so…” Tsukki slurred his words but they made their way to Akaashi nonetheless. His eyes widened and his face twisted in a succession of what looked like shock, followed by embarrassment, and concluded with plain irritation. 

“I-- you- wha-... shut the fuck up Tsukishima,” Akaashi finished flatly. 

“What? I’m just trying to help a friend!” Tsukki shouted, holding his hand over his chest in mock hurt.

“I hate it when you get drunk like this. Who let this happen? I’m taking you home.” Akaashi jerked Tsukki’s arm, successfully pulling him off the barstool with an annoyed glare.

Tsukki quickly lost his balance and slammed straight into Akaashi’s chest, chuckling. “I mean, I don’t really swing that way but whatever…”  
  
“Oh stop, we all know you and Kuroo have…” Akaashi let the rest of the sentence fade as he felt a certain dark haired man come up behind him.

“You and Kuroo have what? Go ahead and finish that sentence for me, Akaashi,” Kuroo spoke into his ear with a grin. 

“Nevermind. I’m taking this drunk asshole home before any more shit comes out of his mouth,” Akaashi says with another pull of Tsukki’s arm.

“Oh don’t worry about it Akaashi, I can take him home,” Kuroo says with a smirk.

“Um, actually it’s on the way for me so I can take him,” Akaashi says with a dubious stare.

“No really it’s fi-”

“Both of you idiotssss shut the hell UP. I can take myself home!” Tsukki stammers. 

“Yeah right,” Akaashi and Kuroo both say at the exact same time. They look at each other for a beat, and burst out in laughter, Kuroo’s cackle practically filling the room. 

Tsukki ignored them completely. With a spin of his heel and a few wobbly steps, he’s out the door and flat on his face.

\--

The cracked sunlight sneaking its way past the blinds in the late morning drew Tsukki out of his drunken induced slumber.

“Oh fuck. Ow. Ow! Is my brain exploding?” Tsukki mumbled, groaning loudly. The pain in his head was splitting. He reached up and felt a bump on his forehead, wincing. 

He looked at the nightstand and saw a note waiting for him beside some much needed aspirin and a bottle of water.

_Idiot. You fell on your face last night, haha. Remember- Akaashi’s birthday is today! Party tonight (woot woot) don’t forget or Daichi will murder you. :) -Kuroooo_

Tsukki rolled his eyes, which he does more often than not when it comes to Kuroo.

“Party tonight? I’m telling Daichi I’m sick, fuck that.” Tsukki grumbled to himself.

He picked up his phone and called their manager, who picked up on the first ring.

“Hey Daichi I really don’t feel the grea-” Tsukki started in a raspy voice for dramatic effect.

“Don’t even start. You’re coming tonight, and you’re getting the cake too. Cakes in a Pinch on Third street, it’s in my name. Get here by seven or I’ll kill you myself.” Daichi said, hanging up before Tsukki could even get a word in. 

Tsukki groaned, much louder than necessary, and flopped back onto his bed. He screamed into his pillow a little bit. He knew if he didn’t, he would scream at the poor baker. Or maybe he just will anyways.

\--

After spending way too long in bed, Tsukishima reluctantly dragged himself out from beneath his warm covers. He shuffled out to his kitchen, rested his palms on the counter and let out a long sigh. He made himself a steaming cup of coffee, black, the way he likes it. 

With the hot mug warming his cold fingers, he moved into the living room. The view of Tokyo stretching far beyond, seen from his floor to ceiling windows, somehow never gets old. He stayed there for a while, just watching the tiny people below go about their lives.

He remembered what it was like before, when he could go out during the day without worrying that a stranger would recognize him. Back in highschool, on his peaceful walks home right when the sun was dipping below the horizon, framing the person beside him with an ethereal golden light-

His thought was abruptly interrupted by the blaring sound of his phone ringing. He nearly dropped his coffee in surprise. Without looking at who was calling, he answered with a snappy, “what?”

“Well hello to you too, Tsukki! Did my sleeping beauty wake up on the wrong side of the bed?” A voice dripping with sarcasm retorted.

“Did you actually have something to say? Or were you just calling to harass me Kuroo?” Tsukki said, not even trying to conceal the annoyance in his voice.

“Awww. I was just making sure that my little sleeping beauty was alive and well! But if that’s how you’re going to treat me, I’ll just hang up. Maybe you should get some more rest so that we can have lots of fun tonight,” Kuroo said, and Tsukki could practically hear the smirk in his voice.

“Maybe I will. Whatever Kuroo, I guess I’ll see you later,” Tsukki grumbled, hanging up before he could hear whatever stupid response Kuroo came up with.

The afternoon wasted away, and Tsukki hardly got up from his couch. He lazed around, watching whatever happened to be on the TV.

Eventually he decided it was time to get ready. He slipped out of his clothes and turned on the shower. The temperature was practically scalding, but it helped wash away the mistakes from the night before. As he stood there under the shower head, he closed his eyes and let the water fall onto his hair and down his face. Tsukishima let out a relieved sigh as he felt the water strip away the tension in his back muscles. He ran his fingers through his hair and pushed it back.

Being in the shower left Tsukishima alone with his thoughts. Sometimes, he’d think about song lyrics. Other times, Kuroo was on his mind. But for some reason, his mind drifted in the past. He remembered memories from his childhood and growing up. He smiled to himself as he remembered when his life was only filled with peace and tranquility.

After spending way too long in the shower, Tsukki glanced down at his phone. Water droplets dripped from his hair onto his screen, and he wiped them off in annoyance. The screen read 6:30. With an extremely delayed reaction, Tsukki yelled, “Fuck! What the fuck!” He scrambled to get ready, blindly throwing on clothes and grabbing his wallet and keys, practically sprinting out the door.

With a brisk pace he set off for the bakery, exasperated at himself for being late, and at everyone else for making him do this.

Maybe the world is against him. That’s the way Tsukki felt. And as if it’s fate, he’s fucking lost. 

He’s jogging down the street, looking every which way, probably scaring every pedestrian he passed.

“What street did Daichi say? I was still so hungover I can barely remember…” 

The warmth from a shop on his left drew him in, and he had a feeling. As soon as he opened the door, he knew he was right, it smelled heavenly. 

“This is definitely it,” He said to himself. Looking up, he saw the menu and in cursive writing underneath ‘Cakes in a Pinch’. Perfect.

Still utterly fed up with his entire day thus far, he stomped to the counter and spat out the order name, not even looking up at the person working the counter. 

Instead of hearing footsteps walking away to go get his cake, he heard silence. 

“Listen, I don’t have all night, so if you could please fucking hurry up-” he began, finally looking up. 

He heard a gasp, and his jaw went slack, hanging open in shock.

“Ts-tsukki?” He heard a familiar voice say, in the sweet way he always said it. 

It’s been a long, long time since he’s heard that voice. But the memories came back all the same.

Yamaguchi.

**~~~~~~~~~~~**

_Yamaguchi’s Point of View_

The warm smell coming from a newly-baked cake hit Yamaguchi’s face. He quickly took the pan out of the oven and set it on the counter. Yamaguchi smiled happily to himself, proud of his creation. After making sure the cake was cool enough, he took out the bag of cream cheese frosting he prepared earlier.

The order called for a simple “Happy Birthday” message on the cake, but Yams thought it needed a little bit more. He started frosting a small flower in the corner.

First, the petals.

Then, the leaves.

Lastly, the ste-

“YAMS!”

Yamaguchi jolted and dropped the bag of frosting. In the process, he smeared his cream cheese flower. Yamaguchi looked up and let out a sigh.

“Hinata, could you please stop doing that?”

Hinata giggled. The carrot-top was wearing a fuzzy sherpa and a yellow pompom beanie. A red scarf was bundled around his neck and covered his mouth. Although, Yamaguchi knew he was hiding a sheepish grin.

“Ooh, is that red velvet?” Hinata peeked at the cake, and reached over the counter to taste the frosting with his finger.

Yamaguchi swatted his hand away, and pointed at the sign hung on the left side of the bakery.

“ **No Taste Testing**!” A small “This is for you, Hinata.” was written on the bottom right corner.

Hinata crossed his arms and pouted. “Rules were made for breaking anyway.” He said in a low voice.

“What was that?” Yamaguchi raised an eyebrow at the boy.

“Nothiiiiing...” Hinata trailed off.

“Oh okay, I thought someone who ‘accidentally taste-tested’ a whole cake said something,” Yamaguchi rolled his eyes and used finger-quotes playfully.

“Hmph,” Hinata let out a defeated pout. “Fine, just let me know when you’re done.” He sat in an empty chair and proceeded to play Doodle Jump on his phone. 

Yamaguchi rolled his eyes and bent down to pick up the icing bag that Hinata caused him to drop. He fixed the flower that was smeared, and continued to line the edge of the cake. 

Yamaguchi’s mind went deep in thought like it always does when he bakes. He’s always loved making sweet treats for friends and family ever since his parents taught him. He baked his first cupcake when he was only six. It was only a plain chocolate cupcake with mixed, messy toppings of vanilla icing, sprinkles, candy, and everything a six-year old could want. But, Yamaguchi had the biggest grin on his face, proud of his first creation.

That was also one of the sweetest memories he had with his parents.

_Yamaguchi giggled with vanilla frosting smeared on the side of his mouth. He bolted to his parents, with a slightly-lopsided cupcake in his hands._

_“Look! Look! I finally made one,” He beamed at his parents._

_His mom clapped and took pictures of Yamaguchi on her polaroid camera. Her heart was filled with pride at the accomplishment of her son._

_His dad bent down, chuckled, and patted Yamaguchi’s head._

_“You’re gonna be a great baker! You can even take over the family business, and make it world-famous one day.”_

_Yamaguchi giggled again, excited about making that dream come true._

That was 17 long years ago. Yamaguchi’s been working toward his dream ever since. After college, he took over the bakery, revamped the menu, and even had some critics give him great reviews. Being in Tokyo gave Yamaguchi some tough competition. But, he welcomed the challenge and continued to work earnestly for the shop.

Yamaguchi finished icing the birthday cake. He stood back to admire his work, and smiled to himself. Yamaguchi put the cake into one of the shop’s custom boxes, and placed it in the fridge.

“Alright,” Yams announced loudly. He wiped the excess flour from his hands onto his apron. “I’m done for the day.”

“Yay! Finally! I was starting to get boooored,” Hinata said from over the counter. “Besides, we’re gonna be late! Tanaka and Noya are probably on their way there already.”

“Okay, okay. I’ll be out in a second,” Yamaguchi untied his apron and hung it on the kitchen hook.

He grabbed his coat, car keys, and phone to head out. Yamaguchi opened the front door, and let Hinata out before him so he could lock up the shop.

“Shotgun!” Hinata shouted.

“Hinata, there's no one else around.”

“I just wanted to announce it officially,” Hinata grinned.

Yamaguchi shook his head and laughed. The two boys hopped in his car, and buckled their seat belts.

“Can I take aux?” Hinata asked excitedly.

“Sure.”

Hinata took a minute to scroll through his playlists before picking a song.

_Hopped off the plane at LAX, with a dream and my cardigan..._

Yamaguchi was content with his choice of music, and started humming along.

“YeeEEAAAH! It’s a Party in the U.S.A,” Hinata sang loudly and off-key.

Yamaguchi winced at the boy’s sudden screech.

“Alright! Encore!” Hinata giggled.

About fifteen excruciating minutes (or 5 Party in the U.S.A’s) later, they were at their destination.

“Hurry! Hurry! Hurry! There’s probably a bunch of people by now.”

“Alright, I’m coming” Yamaguchi huffed and tried to keep up with Hinata’s pace.

Hinata has been raving about this movie for months. The trailer on YouTube had forty million views. Yamaguchi was pretty excited about seeing it, and on opening night too. Although, he wasn’t sure if running six blocks due to the lack of parking was worth it.

Yamaguchi wondered how Hinata still had so much energy. He finally caught up to the enthusiastic boy who joined his other two friends.

“What took you guys so long?” Tanaka greeted them.

“I almost had to fight some guy who said I couldn’t hold your place in line,” Nishinoya glared at a man about fifteen feet away.

“Sorry,” Yamaguchi said sheepishly.

“Yamaguchi had to find street parking, and you know it takes him like twenty minutes to parallel park his car,” Hinata teased.

“Shut up, Hinata. It didn’t take me _that_ long,” Yamaguchi playfully hit him.

The four laughed as they waited in line for the movie. Tanaka, Noya, Hinata, and Yamaguchi have been inseparable since they were 16. Although Noya and Tanaka were a year ahead, it didn’t seem to phase their friendship. 

Yamaguchi remembered when he met Hinata. He almost thought the boy was dead the first time he saw him. Hinata was slumped against a wall in the hallway with his report card in his hands. He was staring blankly ahead of him, as if someone had sucked out his life force. Yamaguchi went to ask if he was okay. But before he could say anything, Hinata was desperately asking him to be his tutor.

Every Thursday after school, Yamaguchi would help Hinata with his studies. At first, he did it out of pity. Then, he realized he was actually having some fun hanging out with him. Before long, Hinata introduced Yams to Noya and Tanaka, and the four have been best buddies ever since.

“I heard there’s a really good plot twist in the movie! Apparently, it has something to do with her brother being—“ Hinata rambled.

“AAH! No spoilers!” Tanaka shoved his fingers in his ears, and started humming.

“You know what, I think that guy is still looking for a fight,” Nishinoya’s gaze was still fixed on the man from before.

“Noya, no. We’ll get kicked out of the theatre, before we can even get in,” Yamaguchi said.

“Alright, fine,” Nishinoya said, still looking at him. “Consider yourself lucky.”

“Speaking of, when will we be able to take our seats? It’s getting pretty cold out here,” Yamaguchi could see his breath as he talked.

“It shouldn’t be too long now. Noya and I have been waiting for a while,” Tanaka said.

“Let’s play a game while waiting!” Hinata remarked.

“You really can’t keep still, can you?” Tanaka asked.

As the other two kept talking, Yamaguchi saw something out of the corner of his eye. There was a glimmer from the bar across the street as it was shining bright lights. The front door was slightly open, and a man was on the ground lying flat on his face.

“That guy must’ve had a rough night,” Yamaguchi said to himself.

He noticed familiar blonde hair on the man. Yamaguchi wondered if that could be… Nah, he decided it couldn’t. It must have been someone else. The city is a big place after all.

“Yams! C’mon, they’re letting us in now!” Noya nudged him.

“What? Huh? Okay!” Yamaguchi said, unaware that the line in front of him was moving.

The four boys finally entered the movie theatre, and found their seats after buying some snacks.

“Hinata, you didn’t have to get so much candy,” Yamaguchi said.

“But, I couldn’t pick,” Hinata responded.

“That’s okay! More for us!” Tanaka exclaimed with Nishinoya grinning next to him.

The lights started dimming, and the movie’s title screen was shown.

“YEAH! WOOOH!” Tanaka and Noya started cheering. A chorus of shh’s from the people around them formed in response.

“Man, no one knows how to have fun here,” Tanaka whispered to Nishinoya.

“Guys, shhh, we’ll get kicked out,” Yamaguchi warned them.

“Oh you worry too much, Yams,” Noya said.

“At least, you’re on my side, right Hinata?” Yamaguchi sighed and turned toward the boy.

Yamaguchi heard no response. Hinata’s eyes were completely fixated on the big screen. The only movements he was making now was shoving popcorn in his mouth and munching.

“Alright, then,” Yamaguchi turned to face back toward the screen to watch the movie.

\--

“That was awesome! She was all like whoooosh! And then, he was all like boooom! And then, they were all like whooosh booom!” Hinata exclaimed, making gestures with his arms. The end of his scarf was waving frantically behind him.

“Yeah, that was pretty good,” Yamaguchi agreed. “I just wish we were there the _whole_ time to see how it ended,” Yamaguchi shot icy stares at the two boys next to him.

Nishinoya and Tanaka avoided eye contact with Yamaguchi, and started whistling. The security guards behind them were still following the two boys to make sure they didn’t try to run back into the theatre again.

“It’s okay, I looked up the ending anyway,” Hinata said happily. “Besides, we can just go see it again if we want to.”

“This is why I never agree to go to the movies with you two,” Yamaguchi said to the boys who were still whistling.

“Hey, it’s not our fault we react passionately to movies,” Tanaka responded.

“I’d call wailing and sobbing loudly with snot all over your faces because of a character’s death a new level to that so-called ‘passion,’” Yamaguchi retorted.

“He sacrificed himself for the sake of his friends, okay?!” Noya said with tears starting to form in his eyes again.

“Rest in peace to our fallen soldier,” Tanaka looked up at the night sky, and bowed his head back down before placing his hand on his chest.

“You guys are dramatic,” Yamaguchi rolled his eyes. “It’s getting late anyway. I better head home. See ya guys!”

“Bye, Yams!” Tanaka and Noya said in unison. The two waved and went their separate ways.

“Shotgun again!” Hinata grinned.

“Okay, but no more Party in the U.S.A,” Yamaguchi said.

“Aw… fine,” Hinata crossed his arms and pouted.

When Yamaguchi was finally home, he flopped down on his bed, tired from the day he had. His mind always raced before going to bed. This time, it drifted towards the man he saw for a split-second at the bar. For some reason, he couldn’t get it out of his head. If that man really was…

No, it was too much for Yamaguchi to process. Besides, he should leave the past in the past. Right now, all he needed to focus on was running Cakes in a Pinch. Yamaguchi was already happy with his life. He’s got three best pals, and his dream job. He didn’t need anything else. What more could he ask for?

With that, Yamaguchi drifted into a peaceful sleep, unaware of a big change to come.

\--

The next morning, Yamaguchi’s bakery was hitting its morning peak. Customers were coming in and out to order a number of cupcakes, muffins, and cups of coffee. Yamaguchi was running around to complete the orders and take calls.

By the evening, the rush was dying down. Yamaguchi finally had some peace and quiet in his day. He noticed a magazine that was left on one of the tables by a customer. Yamaguchi took it back behind the register and flipped through it to pass time.

It was one of those sketchy gossip tabloids with ‘juicy’ news in every headline. While he was skimming the magazine, he spotted a familiar head of blonde hair on one of the pages. Yamaguchi’s heart immediately dropped. The tabloid read that **_his_** band was currently in Tokyo to perform.

He quickly flipped the magazine over. Yamaguchi wondered why he was here _now_ of all times? Couldn’t his band have chosen to perform somewhere else? Somewhere he wasn’t. Yamaguchi thought it over again and scoffed at himself. Tokyo _is_ one of the biggest cities in Japan. Of course, they’d choose to perform here. It’s not like he was actively avoiding Yamaguchi. Besides, he’s just a guy. He shouldn’t have this much of an effect on Yamaguchi. It’s just Tsuk-

The shop’s front door bells chimed as the door swung open, and broke Yamaguchi’s train of thought. He looked up from the counter to see the last person he wanted to walk into the bakery. 

Tsukishima’s hair was still as blonde and fluffy as Yamaguchi remembered. The look on his face was a mix of exhaustion and annoyance. His eyes were stuck in a glare, looking around the bakery. Yamaguchi noticed that Tsukki grew a couple inches taller than the last time they saw each other. As Tsukki’s face was turned to the side, Yamaguchi was fixated on the curvature of his jawline and how his shirt fit loosely on his neck.

Yams was frozen, and his skin turned pale. He didn’t know how to react to a ghost from his past coming back into his life. Tsukishima suddenly started walking quickly towards him. Yamaguchi didn’t know what to do. He started panicking in his mind. He wondered what he should say or do. He wondered why Tsukki was here and how to feel about this. A plethora of emotions and memories came to him.

Before Yamaguchi could say anything. Tsukishima rudely spit out his order. He sounded annoyed, but Yamaguchi knew Tsukki always had a hint of annoyance in anything he said.

When Yamaguchi stayed shocked and silent, Tsukki turned to look at the pale boy. “Listen, I don’t have all night, so if you could please fucking hurry up-”

It took a second for Tsukishima’s face to match Yamaguchi’s frozen reaction.

“Ts-tsukki?” Yamaguchi managed to choke out.

  
  



	2. Chapter 2

_Tsukki’s Point of View_

For a moment, it felt as if the world stopped. It felt like somebody sucked all of the air out of his lungs.

Tsukki stood there, silent, for much longer than he should have. He just couldn’t seem to find the right words to say to the boy in front of him. The memories that came flooding back hit him like a ton of bricks, and he wanted to melt into the floor.

Instead, he cleared his throat and started, “Yamaguchi I-”, he stopped. There was so much that he wanted to say, but the more he tried to collect his thoughts and find the words, panic began to creep in. 

His throat was closing, and his face was heating up. His hands began to shake and he silently cursed himself. _This hasn’t happened in so long, why now?_

To protect himself, he shoved his emotions down and instead said, “Well are you going to get my cake or not?” In his signature snappy tone.

“U-um, yeah sure,” The other boy said timidly. 

Tsukki watched him stumble away, practically tripping over his own feet. He began tapping his foot loudly, needing to distract himself, before he did something he regretted. Otherwise, he might walk right out and leave the cake, which Daichi would kill him for. Although, he might anyway since he’s already so late. 

After what felt like years, Yamaguchi finally came back into view. Tsukki reached across the counter for the cake, and saw Yamaguchi’s trembling fingers gripping the box until his knuckles were white. 

Tsukki felt a pang of guilt, and it felt like a hand snaked around his heart and squeezed. He wanted so badly to tell Yamaguchi that it was okay. That sometimes, he would think about him and miss him so much that it was unbearable. But, he couldn’t. So, he simply took the cake from his hands and averted his eyes. He grumbled a thank you and left the shop without looking back. 

_**~~~~~~~~~~~** _

_Yamaguchi’s POV_

Yamaguchi looked down at his trembling hands, silent and still in shock after everything that had happened. The scene kept replaying in his head, yet he was unable to process it. Tsukki was just in front of him. Yamaguchi could still feel the musician’s cold gaze. 

Judging from Tsukishima’s tone, Yamaguchi wondered what he did to upset him. Well, Tsukki was always one to keep Yamaguchi guessing, even back then. Still, Yams couldn’t shake the feeling that Tsukishima was upset at him or was even on the verge of saying something.

Yamaguchi knew this familiar feeling of guilt all too well. It was like a shadow creeping up from behind his mind, a shroud of doubt that led him questioning whether or not he did something wrong. It was only something he felt when he was with Tsukishima, and he hasn’t sensed it in years.

_“Tsukki! Tsukki! Look!” A young Yamaguchi beamed at his friend, while pointing at a small figurine through the glass of a comic shop._

_The two were on their walk home from school. Around this time of the day, everything around them was always clouded in a golden mist from the sun’s rays._

_Tsukishima turned his head towards the object Yamaguchi was raving about. It was a silver keychain with a figurine from their favorite superhero movie._

_“Awesome!” Tsukishima pressed his face towards the class to take a closer look at the keychain. The figure was made of metal and was vibrantly colored to make the keychain shine even more._

_The two boys entered the shop curious about the item. They immediately gravitated towards the display stand to check how much the keychain cost._

_¥_ _1,500_

 _“What?!_ _1,500 yen for this thing?! I’m not buying that,” Tsukishima scoffed._

_The other boy was still mesmerized by the shiny figurine. “Aw, if I had enough money with me right now, I’d get it,” Yamaguchi said in a disappointing tone._

_“Save your money for something better, Yams. Let’s go.”_

_The two boys left the store empty-handed and continued on their walk home._

_The next morning, Yamaguchi bolted towards Tsukishima before class started with what seemed like urgent news._

_“Tsukki! Tsukki! Tsukki!” The enthusiastic boy exclaimed._

_“Be quiet, idiot. It’s too early to be jumping around like this. And, I was waiting for you outside your house so we could walk to school together. Where were you?” Tsukki asked._

_“Oh, yeah, sorry about that,” Yamaguchi said sheepishly. “But, I was too busy getting this!”_

_Grinning, Yamaguchi held up the silver keychain with the shiny figurine that the boys saw the day before. He already had them attached to his house keys._

_Tsukki paused for a second. His face slowly shifted into a slightly annoyed expression._

_“Really, Yams? You spent that much money on a dumb keychain,” Tsukki looked at him irritated._

_Yamaguchi’s enthusiastic expression quickly fell. “U-um… Well… I thought it was cool.. And he’s from our favorite… movie.. S-so…” He stammered._

_“Yeah, okay, whatever,” Tsukishima spat out. Tsukki turned back to find his seat in class and left Yamaguchi dumb-founded._

_That definitely wasn’t the reaction Yams was expecting. Yamaguchi thought that maybe he did something to upset Tsukki? He thought back to his conversations with Tsukki in the past week to see if he said something that might have gotten him mad. Nothing in particular came up, but Yams was still convinced he did something wrong. Maybe it was because he left Tsukki waiting this morning? That must have been it._

_Later after school, Yamaguchi made sure to wait for Tsukishima so they could walk home together. His plan was to apologize to Tsukishima so they could put this whole thing in the past and have a normal walk home. Yamaguchi waited outside of the school for half an hour before a teacher told him that she saw Tsukishima walking back home by himself earlier._

_The next day, Yamaguchi waited for Tsukishima outside of his house this time to make sure he could apologize and talk to him again. But, Tsukki’s mom told Yamaguchi that her son walked to school a little earlier today._

_During the school day, Yamaguchi didn’t see Tsukki at all. It was like the boy was avoiding him at all costs. Yamaguchi thought that this whole thing was getting a little bit ridiculous. It’s not like Tsukishima could be this mad because of one incident?_

_Yamaguchi walked home alone again that day, but he was determined to confront Tsukishima in the morning._

_The following day, Yams got up almost an hour earlier than his usual time and walked to Tsukki’s house just a couple houses down from his._

_Yamaguchi waited twenty minutes before he saw Tsukishima walk through his front door. Tsukki glanced at him with a momentary look of surprise before returning back to his usual cold expression._

_“What are you doing here?” He asked._

_“What do you mean? We usually walk to school together, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi said firmly._

_“Well, not anymore, as of recently,” Tsukki said._

_“Okay, did I do something wrong, Tsukki? Why are you so mad at me?” Yamaguchi asked in a louder voice._

_Tsukishima sighed. His face suddenly switched to a soft expression, something Yamaguchi rarely sees._

_“I’m… not mad at you,” Tsukki admitted._

_“Okay… Then why have you been avoiding me lately?” Yamaguchi matched Tsukishima’s tone as he questioned the boy._

_“I’ve just been a little embarrassed about something,” Tsukishima said in a barely audible voice._

_“Oh, c’mon Tsukki, it can’t be that bad. You know you can tell me.” Yamaguchi felt relief knowing that Tsukki wasn’t mad at him, and a smile formed on his face._

_Tsukishima paused for a minute. He eyed Yamaguchi up and down, ultimately landing on the newly-bought keychain hanging from the boy’s pocket._

_“Um, well after school a couple of days ago, I knew you were really excited about that stupid keychain. So, I went to the store again and bought it for you. I was gonna give it to you the next day, but then you held one up that you already bought. And I felt dumb that I spent my money buying you one so I didn’t tell you,” Tsukki avoided Yamaguchi’s eyes and spoke in almost a whisper._

_Yamaguchi looked at Tsukishima for a second before bursting into laughter._

_“That’s it?! You avoided me for a whole day because of_ **_that_ ** _?!”_

_“Shut up, Yamaguchi,” Tsukki said as he returned back to his irritated tone. “I try to do one nice thing for you.”_

_Tsukishima stepped down the stairs leading up to his front door while Yamaguchi was still giggling._

_“Quit it!” Tsukki hit Yamaguchi’s arm._

_“Alright, alright. Well, do you still have the keychain?” Yamaguchi asked._

_Tsukishima pulled out the silver metal from his pocket to show Yamaguchi._

_“I was going to go return it today,” Tsukki said._

_“No, don’t. We can have matching ones on our keys instead,” Yamaguchi held his up against Tsukki’s._

_Both boys grinned seeing the figurines against the morning light._

Yamaguchi’s hands finally stopped shaking. But, he still couldn’t get Tsukishima out of his mind. 

He walked towards the front door and flipped the ‘Come in, We’re Open’ sign to ‘Sorry, We’re Closed.’ Yamaguchi didn’t think he could deal with customers anymore today. 

He grabbed his cell phone that was lying on the counter. Yamaguchi knew that when he gets stressed out like this, he has to vent to someone in order to calm himself down. He called the only person he knew that would understand.

It only took three rings for the carrot-top to pick up.

“Hey, Yams! Is it getting lonely in the bakery all by yourself?” Hinata asked in his usual enthusiastic tone.

Hinata was supposed to be working with Yamaguchi today, but he had a three day suspension following the whole ‘taste-testing’ incident.

“Hinata, I saw him again,” Yamaguchi said in a panicked tone, ignoring Hinata’s question.

“Huh? What? Who?” Hinata asked, confused.

“Tsukishima,” Yams responded.

“What?... OH!” It took a second for Hinata to process who his friend was talking about. “That guy from your first high school? Isn’t he like famous now or something?”

“Yes, his band is in the city. He came into the shop today to pick up a cake. And, it was just so… I don’t know. I just felt a lot going on in my mind when he came. All the memories came rushing back. And I…” Yamaguchi’s sentence drifted as he was left speechless about the encounter.

“Well, isn’t that a good thing? He ordered a cake, which means a celebrity is a fan of our food. Let’s put that on our promotional flyers,” Hinata replied. Yamaguchi could practically hear the grin on the boy’s face.

“Hinata, that wasn’t the point,” Yamaguchi wondered why Hinata was the only person he told about Tsukishima.

“Alright, alright, I know. But, in all seriousness, what’s the big deal? A guy ordered a cake from the shop. He came and picked it up. Sure, you guys had some… history. But, it’s not like he’s going to magically reappear in your life again,” Hinata assured him.

Yamaguchi was surprised at how reasonable Hinata sounded. Why _was_ he letting Tsukishima get to him like this?

“You know, you’re right. I should just leave my past alone,” Yamaguchi said in a much more confident tone. “I like the times when you say stuff that actually makes sense, Hinata.”

“Hey, I always make sense!” Hinata remarked defensively.

“But, he seemed mad at me for some reason,” Yamaguchi’s thoughts gravitated back towards the blonde-haired boy. “He was rude and snappy, even more than before.”

“Aren’t celebrities like that though? Besides, he seems like bad news, Yams. Celebrities are always caught up in some scandal. I wouldn’t want you to be his next one.”

In his heart, Yamaguchi knew Hinata was right. This isn’t the same Tsukishima he used to know. Still, Tsukki always had a magnetic effect on him.

“Anyway, Noya and Tanaka want to know if you’re still coming over,” Hinata changed the subject.

“Yeah, I am.”

“Alright, see you then! Also, if you do see the famous dude again, make him pose with one of the cakes so I can put it in an ad,” Hinata hung up before Yamaguchi could respond.

Yamaguchi rolled his eyes and set his phone down. He took a deep breath in and thought about what Hinata said. He decided that the carrot-top was being logical. Yamaguchi told himself he was overreacting. He scoffed at himself and thought, _I mean what are the odds I’ll see him again?_

_~~~~~_

_Tsukki's POV_

He couldn’t bring himself to go straight to the party, not when it felt like someone had punched straight through him. Instead he found an alley and slid back against the brick wall. He chain smoked for what felt like hours, trying his best to still his shaking hands and calm his racing heart. 

Finally feeling like he could face another person, he dragged himself up and in the direction of Daichi’s apartment. 

When Tsukki finally arrived at the party, it was after eight. Daichi looked about ready to kill him, but he must’ve seen something in his eyes, something that made him have mercy. 

“Finally. I thought you were never going to show up,” Dachi said, taking the cake from Tsukki’s cold hands. “Is everything alright?” He asked, quieter, just loud enough for Tsukki to hear. 

Tsukki nodded numbly, avoiding his concerned eyes. Daichi nodded in understanding, knowing it was best not to pry. 

The party went on around him, but Tsukki felt detached, like he wasn’t really there at all. 

It wasn’t until he was in the kitchen alone, drinking straight from a whiskey bottle, that he came back to earth. He felt the familiar and comforting warmth fill his chest. When he finally slammed the glass bottle down onto the counter, he realized he wasn’t alone. 

“Woah there, you good buddy?” Of course it was Kuroo.

Tsukki completely ignored him, and opted for another swig. 

“Maybe you should cool it with the whiskey,” Kuroo said, a more serious tone replacing his usual one. 

He strode over to Tsukki and pried the bottle out of his grasp. Tsukki shrunk against the counter, and Kuroo leaned in to look into his eyes. 

Tsukki met his gaze, but quickly averted his eyes, choosing to stare at the floor.

It was too late, Kuroo had already seen the look in Tsukki’s eyes. He knew something happened. Even though Kuroo acted like an idiot the vast majority of the time, he knew how to read people. 

At this moment, it was one of the things Tsukki hated about him most.

“Don’t-don’t look at me like that,” Tsukki said quietly, without the regular bite in his tone. 

“Like what?” 

“Like you actually care,” Tsukki said, this time his voice was even quieter.

Kuroo was speechless for a moment, something that rarely ever happened. He reached up, and his thumb brushed against Tsukki’s jaw. 

“Of course I care. I’ve always cared.” Kuroo said, though he knew Tsukki wouldn’t believe him. “Please, tell me. What happened?” 

Kuroo’s voice was a mixture of worry and sadness. He knew Tsukki was always rude, but he hated seeing Tsukki sad much more. He would have the cold comments and rolling eyes over this any day. 

“I can’t- I don’t-” Tsukki’s voice broke, and his fingers started trembling again. He looked around in a panic, before finally pulling his eyes up to meet Kuroo’s. 

“It’s okay. I understand.” Kuroo took Tsukki’s hands in his to stop them from shaking. 

Tsukki felt pathetic, but he drank enough to where it hardly even mattered to him. Nothing mattered. 

“Do you want to forget? At least for a little bit?” Kuroo asked, no hint of a joke in his voice.

Tsukki wanted to say no. He didn’t want to do this again. He knew he would regret it. But old habits die hard, and he couldn’t lie to himself. He did want to forget. So instead of listening to the warning alarms going off in his head, he nodded. 

“Hey, look at me. You sure you want this?” Kuroo asked, looking for one final reassurance.

“Yeah. I want this.”

“Okay, let’s go.” Kuroo took him by the hand and led him away from the party, the noise, the knowing stares. 

He was definitely going to regret this.

\--

Tsukishima woke up with long arms draped around him, holding him in an iron grip. At first, he panicked, completely forgetting where he was. Then, the memories from the previous night came flooding back. He was naked, in Kuroo’s bed.

He wanted to get out as quickly as possible, but was worried he would wake up the sleeping man surrounding him if he tried to wriggle out of his grasp.

Before he could even formulate a plan of escape, he heard a groan behind him and the grip somehow got tighter. 

“Stop moving. Go back to sleep…” a voice low and raspy with sleep murmured into his ear.

“I have to go. Kuroo let go of me,” Tsukki replied firmly. 

“Oh? You really don’t want to stay for my amazing cooking and steaming cup of black coffee? Just the way you like it,” his voice lowered on the last six words, his arm slowly brushing up and down Tsukki’s arm.

“No. I’m leaving,” Tsukki finally ripped himself away and began putting his clothes back on.

“You know you told me everything right? About him. I’m not gonna let him fuck with our bassist you know-” Kuroo started.

“Just stop. This isn’t your fucking business. Drop it.” Tsukki snapped without letting kuroo finish. 

“How is it not my business? When you’re so broken after seeing him that you spend the night with _me._ Something you said you would _never_ do again,” Kuroo scoffed. 

“Whatever. Just forget this even happened,” Tsukki said, storming out. 

“I’m not gonna let that guy fuck with you,” Kuroo mumbled, knowing Tsukki couldn’t hear him.

\--

“Tsukishima, can you put this jacket on? We need it for the next look,” a stylist said to Tsukishima.

_I just want to go home._

“Tsukishima? Excuse me?” The stylist tried again, but he was spacing out too much to hear her.

“Dude focus, she’s talking to you,” Bokuto jerked Tsukki’s arm.

“Huh? What?” Tsukki snapped at the stylist.

“Oh I’m so sorry, can you just put this jacket on for me?” She said sheepishly.

“Fine. When is this going to be done? We’ve been here for hours already,” Tsukki spat.

Daichi was watching the exchange with growing irritation that steadily twisted into anger. He finally gripped Tsukki’s arm and dragged him away, “Sorry, we’ll be back in a minute!”

Daichi looked at Tsukki, exasperated. “What has gotten into you? This is the first shoot promoting the new album, so obviously I shouldn’t need to tell you how important this is.”

“Yeah, whatever. I’m here, aren’t I?”

“Sure you’re here. But you’re not _here,_ and we need you to be. Can you get it together for at least a few more hours? We’re worried about you, but the way you’re acting is going to bring the whole band down whatever dark hole you’re spiraling into,” Daichi said, more concern than anger in his voice at this point.

“I-I know. I’ll...” Tsukki stopped. He didn’t want to lie and say that he would be fine. He wouldn’t be, although he didn’t even know why. He could at least pretend the best he could. “I’ll try my best,” he finished.

“Okay. Thank you, Tsukishima,” Daichi responded with one more look, as worried as it was doubtful.

The rest of the shoot proceeded without incident, but everyone could feel the tension in the room. They decided to stay quiet, and it took all of Tsukki’s power not to fall apart.


	3. Chapter 3

Kuroo was angry. It wasn’t easy to make Kuroo angry, but somebody pissed him off, and that somebody was going to pay for it.

He paced back and forth through his kitchen, mumbling under his breath. His mumbles eventually turned into shouting, “Does he really think he can mess with our bassist? Our bassist?! He doesn’t like anyone! So why is this Yamaguchi dude making Tsukki so fucking upset? I’m gonna kick his fucking ass,” Kuroo seethed. 

“Kuroo, it’s gonna be fine! Tsukki will get over it soon, and everything will be back to normal,” Bokuto said. He placed both hands on Kuroo’s shoulders in an failed effort to calm him down.

“Bo, no,” Kuroo slapped away Bokuto’s hands. “Tsukki has barely spoken to us, and the dead eyed stare he has is like a thousand times worse than it usually is! You saw him at the magazine shoot the other day, it was like he was on another fucking planet,” Kuroo retorted.

“Yeah… but, you know how he gets. He really hates when other people meddle in his business, dude…” Bokuto cautioned. 

“Well I’m not gonna sit around and do nothing. The band is going to suffer if this problem isn’t fixed,” Kuroo huffed, grabbing his jacket and keys. Without waiting for Bokuto’s response, he stormed out of the apartment. 

\-- 

Kuroo stopped in front of the shop, took a deep breath, and threw the door open.

Immediately he was assaulted by the sweet smell of baked goods, but it did nothing to soothe the anger brewing inside of him. He went straight to the counter.

“Are you Yamaguchi?” He asked the brunette at the register, not concealing his animosity in the slightest.

“Uh, yeah, how can I help you?” The man squeaked.

“You know Tsukishima right? Tall, blonde, kind of an asshole?”

Yamaguchi nearly dropped the pastry he was holding. “Wait, um, di-did he say something about me?” Yamaguchi asked, confusion and worry lacing his voice.

“Yeah, but he didn’t fucking need to. Because of whatever you fucking did to him on Saturday, he hasn’t been the same since. I don’t have time for assholes who hurt my bandmates. So, stay the fuck away from him before you regret it,” Kuroo finished his sentence with a slam of his fist on the counter. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about-” Yamaguchi tried to respond, but Kuroo had already made it out the door.

Yamaguchi sank down against the counter, shaking from the violent and confusing confrontation.

**~~~~~~~~~~~**

_Yamaguchi’s POV_

All Yamaguchi could do was stare at the ground blankly as he sat against the counter. The scene replayed in his head again and again.

_I don’t have time for assholes who hurt my bandmates. So, stay the fuck away from him before you regret it._

He wondered what he could have possibly done to Tsukki to upset him and his bandmate like this. All Yams did was give him a cake he asked for. He didn’t have any bad intentions. He didn’t even want to see Tsukishima again. The thought of hurting Tsukki made Yamaguchi’s heart wrench. He knew that he didn’t want to see him, but the absolute last thing he wanted to do was hurt him.

Yamaguchi noticed water droplets falling to the ground. He realized they were coming from his eyes and he sniffled. He wiped the tears from his face only to be followed by a stream of more tears. He dropped his head down so no one would be able to see him crying.

Just then, Hinata came out of the kitchen with oven mitts and a tray of slightly burnt cupcakes.

“Hey, Yamaguchi, do you think these are--... woah, why are you on the ground, Yams?” Hinata placed the tray on a nearby counter, and bent down near Yamaguchi.

Yamaguchi picked his head up to face the boy. His tear soaked face caused Hinata to look at him with concern.

“What happened?” Hinata asked softly.

Yamaguchi sniffled again. He wiped his tears in an effort to calm himself down.

“O-one of his bandmates came in. He told me to stop fucking with Tsukki. I didn’t say anything to him. What did I even do wrong?” Yamaguchi choked out.

“Hey, it’s alright. I don’t know what his bandmate’s problem is. But, I know you didn’t do anything wrong, okay?” Hinata attempted to console him.

“Y-yeah but-”

“No buts, Yamaguchi! I know how you are. Whenever something goes wrong, you turn around and blame yourself for it. Even when it’s someone else’s fault,” Hinata said while making hand gestures, oven mitts still on. “You’re a good guy, Yams. Don’t let someone like Tsukki or his bandmates make you think otherwise. I told you-- celebrities are like this.”

“I guess you’re right, Hinata,” Yamaguchi slowly stood up from the floor. He had stopped crying at this point, but his eyes were still slightly puffy.

“See, there’s the Yamaguchi I know,” Hinata patted his back and picked up the tray of cupcakes he was holding before. He started making his way back to the kitchen, but paused before his head was out of view.

“Butifyoudoseehimagain,rememberweneedapicturefortheflyers” Hinata said quickly before dashing back inside.

“Hinata-” Yamaguchi rolled his eyes, realizing it was a lost cause. “Those cupcakes are burnt by the way!” He yelled towards the direction Hinata was.

Yamaguchi heard a faint “Damn it!” coming from the kitchen, and he chuckled.

He turned back to face the register and continue his work, but Yamaguchi still found himself frowning. The pang of guilt he felt in his heart was still there. For whatever reason, Tsukki was hurt from their interaction, and Yamaguchi couldn’t do anything about it.

**~~~~~~~~~~~**

_Tsukki’s POV_

The band finally had a day to relax, and the guys practically dragged Tsukki out of his apartment by force. They were all sitting in Akaashi’s living room, watching some stupid action movie that Tsukki couldn’t even pretend to be interested in. Bokuto however, seemed to be having the time of his life.

“Akaaaaashi! You’re not even watching! This is the best part!” Bokuto shouted, draping his arm across Akaashi’s shoulder and turning him towards the screen. 

Bokuto seemed wholly unaffected by the contact, but Tsukki could see the light blush creeping onto Akaashi’s cheeks. He did his best not to snort. 

On the other side of the couch, Kuroo was sitting next to Tsukki, way too close for comfort.

He leaned in and whispered into his ear so the others couldn’t hear.

“I took care of it Tsukki. There’s no need to worry about that guy anymore. He’ll stay away from you, so everything can go back to normal,” Kuroo said with confidence.

“You what?” Tsukki’s stomach dropped.

“I said I took care of it. I went to the shop-”

“What the fuck made you think that was okay?” Tsukki stood, shouting, and everyone’s attention turned to him. 

“Hey guys can you chill? You’re interrupting the best part,” Bokuto whined, and Akaashi slapped his arm. “Ow! ‘Kaashi come on!” Akaashi shushed him.

“You’re a fucking asshole. I told you to forget about it,” Tsukki seethed. “I can’t believe you.”

He got up and left, not giving a second glance to the room full of shocked faces.

When Tsukki made it outside, he was shaking with anger, fists balled at his sides. But eventually, his anger turned into dread, a heavy pit in the bottom of his stomach. What could Kuroo have said to Yamaguchi? It couldn’t have been good. 

_I have to fix this. Somehow. I have to go talk to him._

Tsukki knew he should’ve waited until he was more calm, but if he did, he would never find the courage to go back into the bakery again. It was now or never. He had to see Yamaguchi again. 

\--

A thirty minute walk through the biting cold and a few cigarettes later, Tsukishima was a little bit more composed.

However, the closer he got to the bakery, the more he started dragging his feet. Eventually he was standing in front of the door, reaching for the handle. For some reason, his hand fell back to his side. He stood there awkwardly for a few moments, until he heard someone clearing their throat behind him.

“Are you gonna go in or…” a voice said, much too loud and energetic for Tsukki’s ears.

He turned to meet the voice speaking behind him, and was surprised to see a small boy with unruly orange hair.

“What’s a kid like you doing out so late?” Tsukki asked with a bit of annoyance, avoiding his question.

“Hey! I am not a kid! I’m twenty three years old!” The man replied with fervor.

Tsukki was stunned for a moment, then responded flaty, “Wow, I never would’ve guessed.”

“Wait a second… you look pretty familiar. Hang on… you- you’re Tsukishima Kei aren’t you?!” He said, giddy with excitement.

“How do you know-”

“You’re famous! Do you like our food? Can I get a picture of you with it? It would do great for the business! Come on let’s go inside!” He practically shouted, pushing Tsukki inside before he could refuse.

Just like that, Tsukishima was face to face with Yamaguchi again, and he was left speechless just like the first time. 

“Yams! We have to make him take some pictures with our cakes and then- oh...” the orange-haired ball of energy trailed off, sensing the tension in the room.

The three of them stood there, frozen in time. The silence in the room felt suffocating, but Tsukki had no idea how to start this conversation that he was already regretting. 

“Um, can you give us a minute Hinata?” Yamaguchi finally broke the quiet in the room with a soft voice. 

“Yeah! Of course! I’ll go check on the uh… plants!” Hinata responded dumbly, scurrying to the kitchen.

“He could’ve chosen literally any baked good… but he went with plants?” Tsukki mumbled.

Yamaguchi stared at him, then abruptly burst into laughter. It was so contagious that Tsukki couldn’t help but chuckle too.

It was the first time Tsukki genuinely smiled in what felt like ages.

“Yeah… that’s Hinata for you…” Yamaguchi breathed between laughter.

A beat of silence followed their bout of giggles.

“So…” Tsukki said, awkwardly.

“So…” Yamaguchi replied, gaze meeting the floor.

Tsukki took this moment to study him. He was suddenly lost in the soft brown freckles that decorated his tan skin, the long eyelashes that nearly brushed his cheeks, the pink lips that were always turned up in a little smile.

Suddenly Tsukki was ripped out of his thoughts, Yamaguchi caught him staring. A light blush crept onto both of their faces, but they didn’t acknowledge it.

“So, Yamaguchi I- I’m really sorry,” Tsukki could feel his voice breaking, but he willed his emotions down. He couldn’t look pathetic in front of Yamaguchi. He didn’t come here for his pity. “I don’t know what Kuroo said to you, but please ignore it. He’s a complete dick, which says a lot coming from me. You didn’t do anything wrong… it’s all my fault. I’ll get out of your way, but I just wanted to apologize,” Tsukki said honestly.

He looked down at his hands, and realized they were shaking. He wasn’t used to talking about feelings or apologizing or anything pertaining to emotions, really. 

Tsukki waited for Yamaguchi to say something, but he didn’t. He took that as his cue to get out and never come back, which is what Tsukki believed would be best for Yamaguchi anyways. 

After all this time, he still just wanted Yamaguchi to be happy. Tsukki felt like he was a black hole that sucked light and happiness out of everything, and he didn’t want to do that to Yamaguchi. Not him. 

Tsukki made his way to the door, and couldn’t help but feel himself deflate. For some illogical reason, he held out a stupid hope that maybe Yamaguchi would want him to stay. Of course he wouldn’t, because who would-

“Tsukki! Wait!” Yamaguchi reached out and grabbed Tsukki’s jacket. “Would it… be stupid of me to ask you to stay? For a cup of coffee I mean, or a pastry, I tried a new recipe for blueberry muffins, I remember how much you liked those! So yeah or if you don’t want that you can have some cookies, or cupcakes, or uh-”

“Yamaguchi. You’re doing that thing where you ramble ridiculously when you’re nervous,” Tsukki said, holding back a chuckle.

“I am? Oh sorry,” Yamaguchi replied sheepishly. 

“There’s nothing to be sorry about. Of course I’d love to stay.” 

Tsukki felt that tiny hope in his heart grow just a little bit more, and he couldn’t help but smile to himself.

**~~~~~~~~~~~**

_Yamaguchi’s POV_

Yamaguchi was instantly relieved. The weight he carried around his shoulders for the past week was lifted ever since he saw Tsukki. He wasn’t upset or hurt. He wasn’t mad at him at all. In fact, he was sitting right in front of him.

He glanced up at Tsukishima, still in awe that he agreed to stay. He got a better look at his old friend this time. His blonde hair was kept in a more disheveled style. His pale skin contrasted his brown eyes and the dark frame of his glasses. Yamaguchi noticed a little glint in his eye. He knew that always happened when Tsukki was excited about something. This time, it was Yamaguchi’s blueberry muffin that was in front of him. Tsukki would always claim to hate sweets, but only a select amount of people knew about his love for blueberry muffins.

Tsukki quietly ate his muffin while Yamaguchi stirred his tea. Although Yamaguchi was relieved, there was still a bit of awkwardness between them.

“S-” They both started to say something but quickly stopped.

“Oh sorry,” They apologized in unison, both feeling heat rise up to their cheeks.

“U-um what were you gonna say?” Yamaguchi asked.

“I was gonna ask how you’ve been,” Tsukki said in a quiet voice.

“Oh, I’ve been alright… The shop usually takes up most of my time, and Hinata works with me now so…yeah. How have you been?” Yamaguchi could feel tension in the air. It was as if he was a line away from saying one wrong thing and Tsukishima would be walking right out the door. Like how it was years ago.

“I’ve been okay. The band’s been touring some cities and promoting new albums. So, I’ve been a little exhausted,” Tsukishima responded.

“Oh, okay,” Yamaguchi said, unsure of what to say next. He noticed a speck of the blueberry muffin right under Tsukki’s nose.

“U-um, Tsukki, you have a little…” Yams gestured around his mouth.

“Oh!” Tsukishima’s cheeks turned pink as he went to wipe the crumb with a napkin.

“It’s still… u-um…” Yamaguchi stuttered. 

Without giving it a second thought, he grabbed his napkin and wiped the crumb off Tsukki’s face. After a moment, he realized what he did and dropped the napkin.

“Oh my gosh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to invade your personal space or anything,” Yamaguchi quickly said. “I didn’t think you’d get it or would want to walk out with crumbs all over your face so I-”

Tsukki chuckled. “Yams, it’s okay, and you’re rambling again.”

Both boys turned slightly red after the interaction. Yamaguchi’s heartbeat was quickening after he noticed Tsukishima calling him by his nickname. It’s just like how he was back then. Suddenly, a familiar wave of sadness rushed over Yamaguchi. He realized just how much he missed Tsukishima. But now that he’s here, Yamaguchi couldn’t seem to put those feelings into words.

Tsukishima looked around the bakery before turning back to the boy in front of him.

“You really redecorated it a lot. I didn’t even recognize the place,” Tsukki remarked.

“Yeah, I thought it just needed a change,” Yamaguchi responded. “Do you think it’s a bit much?”

“No, no. I love it,” Tsukishima quickly said. There was a short pause before he chuckled to himself. “Remember when I said I’d work here with you. We would have been co-managers, and we’d make our own recipes.”

“I do remember that. I also remember you burning a cake with simple instructions,” Yamaguchi teased him and giggled.

“Hey! You knew I wasn’t the _best_ baker in the world,” Tsukki laughed with him.

Yamaguchi felt the same bittersweet pang in his heart. It was so good to hear his laugh again. Something he’s missed all these years. And it hasn’t changed a bit.

“I knew you’d never work here, anyway,” Yamaguchi said. “You love music way too much. I wouldn’t ever take you away from that in a million years.”

Tsukishima gave him a smile, one where his mouth would turn slightly to a corner and he’d look at him with soft eyes. At this point, Yamaguchi could hear his heart pound as butterflies began to gather in his stomach.

Yamaguchi noticed that Tsukki wasn’t using a usual hint of annoyance in his tone while he was talking to him. It was almost Tsukishima’s tone of regret, like he wanted to say something but couldn’t.

“Well, I guess music is what got me where I am now. But, sometimes, I do miss the days we’d hang out at the shop and walk back to-”

Tsukishima suddenly stopped speaking. His skin turned white as he startled himself for a moment. Tsukki looked down at the table avoiding eye contact with Yamaguchi. He didn’t bother to finish his sentence.

“Tsukki, are you alr-”

Before Yamaguchi could be concerned for him, the front door quickly opened and three guys walked into the bakery. Yamaguchi quickly recognized the raven-haired bandmate as he glanced their direction. 

But instead of him talking, a silver-haired man approached them.

“Tsukki! We’ve been looking all over for you, man! We had to miss the best part of the movie!” He whined. “Akaashi didn’t even get to see it!”

All traces of sadness left Tsukishima’s face and it was replaced by anger and annoyance.

“What are you guys doing here? And how’d you find me?” He spat out, irritated by his bandmates.

“Kuroo said you’d be here,” The other man with tousled black hair said quietly while pointing at the bandmate who yelled at Yamaguchi last week.

“We just wanted to see if you were okay,” The silver-haired man said.

“Clearly, I am. So you guys can go now,” Tsukishima responded coldly.

Yamaguchi could feel the glare from Kuroo piercing through his skin. He avoided eye contact with him and looked down at his tea.

“Wait! There’s cake here!” The silver-haired man exclaimed. “Let me get some before we go. Akaashi, help me pick one out.” He draped his arm around the man with a quiet voice. Yamaguchi noticed Akaashi’s cheeks turn pink.

He wanted to get up to help them, but he was stuck in his seat as Kuroo continued to stare him down.

“U-um, Hinata! We have customers!” He yelled towards the kitchen.

The orange-haired boy zipped out of the kitchen to meet the two customers looking at cakes.

“Oh my gosh! It’s the Birds of Paradise!” Hinata immediately recognized the band. “Could you guys pose with a cake so I can put it on one of our flyers?”

“Hinata, quit it. They’re just here for cake and Tsukki,” Yamaguchi scolded the boy.

“They shouldn’t even be here at all,” Tsukishima glared at Kuroo.

Tsukki got up from his seat and walked over to his bandmate. He said something inaudible to Kuroo. Yamaguchi could hear the raven-haired man say “What? No!” in response. Tsukishima said something again that made Kuroo approach Yamaguchi.

Yamaguchi gulped as the man walked towards him, wondering what kind of scene would unfold. Kuroo dropped his deathly glare and avoided eye-contact with Yamaguchi.

“I… apologize for the… other day,” He said through clenched teeth, clearly not meaning it.

“U-um, that’s okay,” Yams replied, scared of what would happen if he didn’t accept the apology.

Yamaguchi turned towards Hinata to put an end to his interaction with Kuroo. The silver-haired man was posing with a vanilla cake while Hinata was taking pictures.

“These are looking good, Bokuto,” Hinata exclaimed.

“Aw, hell yeah! I could be a model or something now,” The silver-haired man said.

“Bokuto, we literally just had a photo shoot the other day,” Akaashi reminded him.

“Oh, right.”

Tsukishima cleared his throat.

“We should get going now, guys,” He said, still irritated.

“Fine,” Bokuto pouted. “Make sure you send those pictures to me, little dude!”

As the band turned to leave the shop, Tsukishima stopped for a moment.

“Thanks for having me here, Yams. It was fun,” Tsukki said to the baker. 

“O-of course, come by anytime you want,” Yamaguchi blushed and waved them goodbye. His heart was still pounding after everything that happened. A part of him wanted Tsukishima to stay a little longer.

After the band left, he turned towards Hinata who was still looking at the promotional pictures on his phone, “Really, Hinata?... ‘plants’ was the best thing you could come up with?”

“I panicked, okay? Besides, it didn’t even matter, you still ended up alone with him, right?” Hinata said. “And by the looks of it, he didn’t seem upset with you at all. In fact, it looked like the _total opposite._ ”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Yamaguchi questioned him.

“Nothiiiiiing,” Hina responded and turned back towards the kitchen. 

Yamaguchi looked at him suspiciously, wondering what he was implying with that. But, he decided to brush it off.

He was still ecstatic about finally talking to Tsukishima after all those years. _Maybe they could even be in each other’s lives again?_ Yamaguchi shook the thought out of his head. He decided that he was hoping for a little bit too much. After all, it was just a small interaction and a cup of tea. It didn’t mean anything, right?


End file.
